


March Home

by Starofwinter



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen, Original Character Death(s)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-07
Updated: 2016-11-07
Packaged: 2018-08-29 17:19:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8498530
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starofwinter/pseuds/Starofwinter
Summary: "Soldier boy, come marching home."





	

Rex tightens his arms around the shiny he’s holding in his lap, the trooper’s breaths fast and shaky as he coughs on the blood in his chest.  “Shh, shh.  Stay with me, kid.   What’s your name, huh?” He remembers the boy; he remembers the look of pride on his face and that of his brothers when they were assigned to the famed 501st, just a week before. He'd been there to welcome them, and now he was here for the trooper's last moments. It was a cycle that never failed to break his heart.

“CT-”

He cuts off the recitation.  “Nah, I mean your  _ name _ .  You’ve got one, yeah?”  The boy shakes his head.  “Well, we gotta fix that.  Just won’t do for you to come outta your first battle without having a name.  What’s your specialty?”

It takes a moment to get an answer.  “Don’t have one, sir, but I was the best at slicing feeds in my batch.”  There’s a note of boyish pride in his voice as he says it, and the tilt to his head as he looks up at Rex speaks of an unspoken need for approval.

“That’s good, could always use more slicers.  How’s that for a name - Slicer?”  Rex brushes his hair back - still regulation cut, he hasn’t been off Kamino long enough for it to grow out or get a new style or dye job, the way most of them do.  

The kid smiles a little with bloody lips.  “Think I like that, sir-” he breaks off into another round of coughing, shaking apart in his arms as he whimpers in pain.  Rex checks his belt kit - he has enough anesthetic to make sure he at least doesn’t  _ feel _ anything, and he takes a moment to uncap the hypospray and inject him.  Slicer relaxes a little, sighing as he rests his head on Rex’s pauldron.  His breaths are more of a struggle now, but he manages to speak again.  “Tired, sir.”

“I know, verd’ika.  You go ahead and get some rest now, I’ll keep watch.”  Rex presses a rough kiss to the top of his head, closing his eyes for a moment to gather himself.  Slicer closes his eyes, and Rex listens as his breathing slows until it finally stops before he finally lets the tears fall to dampen the boy’s hair.  “March on home, little brother.”  


End file.
